Grown Up
by Kalira69
Summary: Sho doesn't want to be Kei's little one any more, but what does he want instead? (Slash.)


Originally written for a prompt from a challenge set.

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><p>"What's wrong, little one?" Kei asked softly, standing in the doorway of Sho's bedroom, looking at his slumped back.<p>

Sho shook his head, braids sliding across his shoulders from the force of the sudden movement. "I- Nothing, Kei. Don't worry about me." he said, shrugging.

Kei sighed, reaching into his pocket for his cigarettes and tapping them against his thigh restlessly, not yet withdrawing one.

"Why do you still call me that?" Sho asked, twisting to look at Kei, who raised an eyebrow at him. "_You're_ the little one, now." he pointed out, with a shadow of his teasingly playful smirk.

Kei let it slide, this time, as it seemed to be getting Sho to speak to him, at least, as he had not for days. "You didn't mind it, once." he said, his voice still soft, stepping into the room properly.

Sho's smile twisted. "I _was_, once. I remember. I remember you holding me like I was _your_ little one." he said slowly, glancing up to meet Kei's eyes, then shaking his head and looking away.

Kei moved to stand in front of Sho, where he was impossible to ignore, and cupped his jaw in one hand. "You still are." Kei said gently. "I can even still hold you like that." he teased, tossing the cigarettes to Sho's dresser and joining him on the bed.

Sho startled, but in a moment Kei had the lanky teenager pulled into his arms, into his lap, in a pose that he was far, far too big for these days.

Sho relaxed into his arms, and Kei kissed the top of his head as he slumped, squeezing him tightly closer. Then Sho made an odd little noise and struggled to get free of Kei's embrace.

Kei let him go, after a moment, confused and worried. "What's wrong, l- Sho?" he corrected himself.

"I- Maybe I don't _want_ to be your little one any more." Sho said, snatching up the cigarettes and lighting one for himself. Kei had given up his half-hearted efforts to keep Sho from picking up the habit several years before, just before he'd given in and taught Sho how to handle a gun.

Not your normal sixteen-year-old's ideal gift, but Sho had been delighted, after finally mastering the guns Kei had allowed him to use for their training, to receive a pair of his own, just like Kei's, for his birthday.

Kei swallowed and folded his legs up onto the bed, watching Sho pace. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked, trying to hide how much the idea hurt.

"No!" Sho yelped, twisting to face Kei so quickly he nearly fell, still slightly clumsy with his new height, for all that he was done growing. "Kei, no, please, don't-" he broke off, flinching. "Please don't leave me, Kei."

"I won't." Kei soothed, his heart twinging with the panic in Sho's bright eyes. "I don't quite understand, though, Sho. What is bothering you?" he asked again, climbing to his feet, though he didn't approach Sho.

Sho hesitated, then stepped closer to Kei, diverting before he quite reached Kei to sit on his bed again, letting out a slow stream of smoke. He looked at Kei through his thick, curly lashes, his head bowed.

"I loved being your little one when I _was_ little, Kei. . ." Sho said, then shook his head as Kei opened his mouth, holding up the hand holding his cigarette. "But I grew up, as much as you say I never will," he added, laughing a little, "and . . . maybe I don't want you to think of me as that little kid any more." he said nervously.

Kei opened his mouth, then paused to think more carefully before speaking, uncertain of Sho's meaning, licking his lips. Kei still tried to protect Sho, but he was only human, and with the trouble he found like no one Kei had ever met, he _needed_ it.

Kei went still, stiller than anything alive ever could, and slowly took a deeper breath. The slight, spicy heat he'd smelled _was_ there, and it was definitely coming from Sho, though it was dampened by anxiety and the smoke hanging between them.

Sho took in an unsteady breath and dragged his gaze away, bringing his cigarette to his lips again, sucking in a deep breath of smoke.

Kei stepped forwards and paused, standing before Sho and forcing him to raise his eyes to meet Kei's own again, searching them for whatever might be behind the tint of arousal in his scent.

Sho was nervous and turned on and he hesitated as he met Kei's eyes, not quite shrinking away. Kei took a shallow, almost-nervous breath of his own, then quickly bent and pressed his lips to Sho's, gentle and cautious.

Sho's breath caught, and he would have dropped his cigarette if Kei's fingers hadn't wrapped around his own.

"Kei?" he whispered, and Kei straightened slowly, pulling the cigarette from Sho's hand and bringing it to his lips for a deep drag, slightly shaken.

"I'm sorry I didn't see before." he said awkwardly, around the cigarette held between his lips. "I _do_ know you aren't a child, Sho."

Sho flinched. "Is that- Kei. . ." he trailed off.

"That's not why I kissed you." Kei said evenly, meeting Sho's eyes again. Sho's closed for a moment with relief as he sagged, and when they opened again his love, different from what Kei had slowly grown used to seeing there when he was small, was clear in the blue depths. "Little one."

Sho sputtered at the gentle teasing, springing to his feet and gesturing broadly as Kei laughed and grinned at him, snatching at Kei as he pulled effortlessly away.

After a few moments of play, Kei allowed himself to be caught, and was surprised to be drawn against Sho's body, one big hand sliding into his hair as he tipped his head back to meet Sho's eyes, and kept in a firm embrace.

Sho's kiss was as gentle as his own had been, however, and sweetly tentative.


End file.
